The present invention relates in general to cosmetic applicator and container assemblies, and more particularly to a container and applicator assembly for applying coloring or other material, such as mascara, to eyelashes wherein adjustable means are provided for varying the quantity of mascara or other cosmetic retained by the applicator when it is withdrawn from the container.
For a number of years, eye makeup has attained increasing popularity and more attention on the part of the cosmetic industry and particularly suppliers of cosmetics has been devoted to design and improvement of devices for applying mascara or similar materials to the eyelashes. Mascara packages in recent years have included an applicator member to be disposed in a container having a mass of mascara therein, with the applicator member comprising a screw threaded cap for the container having a rigid stem extending from the applicator cap portion terminating in what may be referred to as an applicator head, formed of a threaded rod, a helical brush, a small comb, or a plastic enlargement designed to have a coating of mascara on its surface to be directly applied to the eyelashes. The stem and applicator head portion of the applicator member is normally disposed in the mass of cosmetic or mascara within the container so that, when the applicator member is pulled from the container, excess mascara or cosmetic is removed by an elastic wiper as the applicator head is withdrawn. A metered amount of cosmetic remains between the convolutions, brush hairs or comb teeth of the applicator head for application to the eyelashes. While most mascara applicator and container assemblies are such that essentially the same metered quantity of mascara is retained on the applicator head for each withdrawal from the container and thus application of mascara to the upper or lower lashes will be essentially the same, it is frequently desirable to have a different quantity of mascara for the lower lashes relative to that applied to the upper lashes, and different users may desire to have different amounts of mascara retained on the applicator head.
Heretofore, efforts have been made to provide devices by which the customer or user may vary the amount of mascara retained on the applicator head upon withdrawal from the container, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,235 granted Dec. 21, 1976, wherein the cap portion of the applicator member includes a rotatably adjustable portion forming a regulator dial member which will vary the spacing between successive convolutions of the applicator member and thereby vary the amount of mascara which can be retained by the applicator head portion.
An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel applicator and container assembly for a cosmetic product, such as mascara or other products, in liquid, semi-liquid, paste or powder form, wherein the container is provided with an adjustable collar portion and elastic wiper for varying the diameter or size of the wiper orifice and thereby varying the amount of product which can be retained on the applicator head portion as it is withdrawn from the container.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel applicator and container assembly as defined in the immediately preceding paragraph, wherein the neck of the container is provided with a rotatably adjustable collet or ring and the applicator member is provided with a cap portion which is threaded onto the adjustable collet or ring, at the neck of the container to close the container, and wherein the adjustable collet or ring may be rotated to raise and lower a collet wiper member inside the neck of the container to increase and decrease the wiper orifice diameter by regulating the position of the collet wiper relative to a mechanical interface therefor formed at the container neck, to thereby accurately regulate and meter the quantity of product which coats the applicator head upon each withdrawal of the applicator member from the container.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel applicator and container as described in the preceding paragraph, having detent means for indicating a plurality of angular collet or ring portions for preset wiper orifice diameters.
Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention.